So Much For 'Normal'
by Kyra5972
Summary: I left so she could have a normal life...This isn't what I had in mind... Sequel to What's 'Normal' Anyway? *NOT* Angel/Edward slash!
1. Angel

**Title:** So Much For 'Normal'...

**Author:** Kyra

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them; if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

**Summary:** I left her so she could have a normal life...This isn't what I had in mind...

**Pairings:** Bella/Buffy

**Spoilers:** Twilight – Up through Edward leaving. BtVS - Up to Joyce's funeral. A lot of the dialogue comes from that ep.

**Warnings:** Light **FEMSLASH!!!**

**A/N:** Okay, so here's the sequel to _What's 'Normal' Anyway?_ This isn't going to be very long, probably only two chapters. I hope you all like it.

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**Chapter 1: Angel**

As the sun sank beneath the horizon, I stepped out of the shadows and made my way over to where Buffy was standing next to her mother's grave, a pretty brunette girl standing next to her holding her hand. I studied the two as I approached; Buffy looked shattered, tears slipping gently down her face as she stared at the fresh grave, and the brunette stood quietly holding her hand, her thumb brushing over the back of Buffy's hand in a soothing gesture as she tried to lend Buffy as much strength as she could.

Thinking back over the last couple of times I was in Sunnydale, I tried to remember if I had seen the brunette with Buffy or the other Scoobies or if anyone had mentioned someone new, but I came up blank. I had no idea who this girl was.

The wind shifted slightly and my eyes widened as I caught the scent it blew my way. The girl wasn't just a friend; her scent was completely intermixed with Buffy's, it clung to Buffy just as Buffy's scent clung to her. They were lovers. I felt a pang in my unbeating heart at the realization.

"I'm sorry," I murmured as I stepped up next to Buffy.

Buffy didn't look up, just nodded her acknowledgement as she continued to stare at the grave. The brunette did, though. She looked up at me and I saw the realization dawn in her eyes after a few seconds. She simply stared at me for a moment before biting her lip slightly and seeming to come to a decision.

I watched as she turned back to Buffy and tugged lightly on the hand she was holding, causing Buffy to look up at her.

"Hey," she murmured softly, "I'm gonna go check on Dawn, give you two some privacy. I'll get her from Willow and Tara's and take her back to our place. We'll see you later, okay?" Buffy nodded and the brunette placed a soft kiss on her lips before squeezing her hand once more and turning to leave the cemetery.

As the other girl disappeared from sight, Buffy turned back to stare at the grave and I slipped my hand into hers, wanting to offer her what comfort I could. After a few minutes of just standing there staring at the grave, I led Buffy over to a nearby tree and sat down, pulling her into my arms.

Buffy sighed and curled her legs underneath herself and leaned against my side. With her this close to me, the scent of the other girl clinging to her skin was impossible to ignore, but I tried anyway. I was surprised by that development, but if she made Buffy happy then who was I to complain? Even I wished with all my being that I could be the one to make Buffy happy. But that wasn't possible.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Buffy started to speak, her voice unbearably sad. "The funeral was…" she sighed, "It was brutal. But it's tomorrow that I'm worried about."

"What's tomorrow?" I asked as I stroked my hand over her hair in an effort to sooth her.

I felt her tiny shoulders shrug minutely before she answered. "That's exactly what I don't know," she said. "Up until now, I…I've had a road map. Things to do every minute, having to do with Mom."

"Tomorrow the stuff of everyday living resumes."

"And everybody expects me to know how to do it. Because I'm so strong," she said, the last sentence coming out drenched in sarcasm.

"You just need some time," I told her. "I'm sure everyone understands that."

"Time's not the issue," she said, shaking her head softly. "I can stick wood in vampires, but Mom was the strong one in real life. She always knew how to make things better…just what to say."

"Yeah," I replied, remembering just how strong a woman Joyce Summers had been. But Buffy was just as strong. "You'll find your way," I told her. "I mean, not all at once, but…"

Buffy shook her head again. "I don't know. I keep thinking about it…when I found her. If I had just gotten there ten minutes earlier…" she said, trailing off at the end.

"You said they told you it wouldn't have made a difference," I reminded her, trying to make sure she wasn't going to blame her mother's death on herself.

"They said 'probably' wouldn't have made a difference," Buffy said softly. "The exact thing they said…was 'probably.' I haven't told that to anyone." She sniffed softly and leaned further into my side and I tightened my arm around her.

"That doesn't make it your fault," I told her, my voice soft but firm. "You couldn't have done anything different."

Buffy let out an annoyed sigh and I resumed stroking her hair; I hadn't even realized I'd stopped. "I didn't even start CPR until they told me," she said, self-deprecation dripping from her tone. "I fell apart. That's how good I am at being a grownup."

"Buffy…" I started, not really sure what to say to make her realize and understand that what happened wasn't her fault.

Buffy continued speaking before I could think of anything to say. "And it would be okay if it was just me I had to worry about," she said. "But Dawn…"

"Look, it's okay," I told her. "I know you don't feel like it now, but you are strong, Buffy. You're gonna figure this out. And you have people to help you. You don't have to do this alone," I said, thinking about the brunette that had been here when I arrived. "You have the Scoobies…And your girlfriend…"

"Bella," Buffy said softly and I could hear the smile in her voice even though I couldn't see her face.

"Tell me about her?" I requested, looking down at the top of Buffy's blonde head.

Buffy sat up and pulled back a bit to look at me curiously. "Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes searching mine. "I know it can't be easy for you to hear me talking about being with someone else."

I nodded, needing to know more about this girl that seemed to have captured Buffy's heart. A soft smile curved Buffy's lips as she leaned back against the tree behind us. She was quiet for a few minutes and I was just about to say something when she started talking.

"Her name is Bella," she started. "Isabella Swan, but she hates it when anyone calls her Isabella. She's my age, a few months older. She moved here from a small town in Washington shortly after graduation. She was just planning on passing through when I met her, but it didn't end up working out that way. I met her one night when I saved her from a vamp. And it was so weird! I've never encountered a vamp like that before. It was really strong and it didn't have a game face or turn to dust when I took her head off. I had to dismember her and burn the pieces in order to kill her. And Bella knew that. Apparently, her ex was a vamp. Not like you, but like the one that had attacked her. We kind of bonded over that, the whole 'vampire ex' thing. And over the fact that Edward, her ex, had left her for the same reasons that you left; so that she could have 'normal.'" She looked up at me with and amused smirk playing around her mouth. "I guess that didn't really work out the way either of you planned, huh?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. No, things hadn't really turned out the way I had hoped for Buffy, but this Bella girl seemed to be good for her, seemed to treat her right.

"We didn't actually get together until after Christmas, around New Years," Buffy said, continuing her story. "It wasn't anything either of us planned, it just sort of…happened. I think you'd like her. Mom loved her." A small, sad smile crossed Buffy's face for a moment before she shook it off and continued talking, telling me more about her Bella. "She used to be the biggest klutz. I mean, don't get me wrong, she still kind of is, but it's not like it was when she first moved here. She's sweet and funny and she accepts all the wacky in my life and doesn't have a problem with it."

"Do you love her?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"I do."

"Does she make you happy?"

Buffy smiled softly as she nodded. "She does," she said softly. "She really does."

"Well, that's the most important part," I told her with a smile. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Buffy beamed at me and leaned up to press her lips against mine softly, for just the barest of moments. Pulling back, she smiled at me again. "Thank you."

I pulled Buffy into my arms, closing my eyes and savoring the feel of her there. I placed a soft kiss on the top of her head as I held her close. "I just want you to be happy, Buffy," I murmured.

When I pulled back, Buffy smiled up at me for a moment before her gaze drifted to the horizon.

"It's going to be light soon," she said and I nodded.

"I should probably go," I said reluctantly and this time it was her turn to nod. "If you ever need me, you know where I am."

Buffy smiled and nodded. "I know."

I swiftly stood up and pulled Buffy to her feet. We walked in silence to my car and I hugged Buffy once more before climbing inside and starting the ignition. I rolled down my window and looked at Buffy. "It was good to see you, Buffy," I said with a small smile. "Even if the circumstances leave something to be desired. Tell Bella I'm sorry I didn't get to meet her properly."

Buffy nodded. "Maybe you can meet her some other time," she suggested. "When the circumstances are better."

"I'd like that."

Buffy smiled once more and leaned in the window of my car and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "Take care of yourself, Angel. And tell everyone in L.A. that I say 'hi.'"

"I will," I replied. "And you take care of yourself as well."

Buffy just nodded and I pulled away from the curb, heading out of Sunnydale and back to L.A. I watched Buffy in my rearview mirror until she disappeared from view. She was happy and that's all I could ask for.

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**Well, there's the first half. Next chapter will be Edward. Not sure when it will be up, though, I don't have it written yet. I hope you liked this chapter though. Leave a review and let me know? Pretty please?**

**~ Kyra**


	2. Edward

**Title:** So Much For 'Normal'...

**Author:** Kyra

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them; if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

**Summary:** I left her so she could have a normal life...This isn't what I had in mind...

**Pairings:** Bella/Buffy

**Spoilers:** Twilight – Up through Edward leaving. BtVS – Ummm, nothing really specific; up through Angel leaving, I guess.

**Warnings:** Light **FEMSLASH!!!**

**A/N:** Yay! Finally got the Edward chapter written! I hope you all like it!

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I stopped short in the middle of the busy LA sidewalk as I detected a scent I hadn't smelled in seven long years, one I never thought I'd smell again.

"What the hell, Edward?" Rosalie snapped as she just barely stopped herself from running into me.

I ignored her as I scanned the street, looking over the people around us, trying to find the owner of that scent. I had to know if it was really her. I knew it was though. It had to be. Hers was a scent that was ingrained in my memory, one that I would never forget or confuse with someone else's.

"Edward?" Alice asked, her thoughts reflecting her confusion, as well as a small amount of worry, over my odd behavior.

I started to turn toward her, but froze once more as I finally caught sight of the one person I never thought I'd ever see again.

Bella.

If my heart actually beat, I'm sure it would have stopped the instant my eyes locked onto her. She was as beautiful as ever, even more so actually. She had always been beautiful, but now she had a certain self-confidence about her that made her all the more appealing. There was also a gracefulness to her movements that had never been there before.

A huge smile graced her face as she talked and laughed with the people she was walking with; two women, a short blonde and a brunette in a pair of leather pants and a black tank top, and a bleached-blond man. The four of them seemed to be teasing each other and just generally having a good time.

"Edward?"

The sound of Jasper's voice reminded me that my siblings were standing next to me, all four of them wondering what was going on.

'_Are you alright?_' Jasper's thoughts sounded worried in my head and I turned to glance at him quickly, not wanting to lose Bella in the crowd, and saw a look of concern on his face. '_Your emotions are all over the place, Edward_,' he thought to me.

I took a deep, unneeded breath in an attempt to settle my raging emotions as I looked back across the street to where Bella was. Jasper must have followed my gaze because seconds later I heard a small gasp escape him and his shocked thoughts floated into my head.

'_Is that_…'

"What on earth are the two of you staring at?" Rose asked, annoyance tingeing her voice.

A sharp breath from where Alice was standing told me that she had seen just what we were staring at. "Oh my…" she whispered softly, "Bella."

At her words, Emmett and Rosalie turned to look across the street so fast that, had they been human, they would have gotten whiplash.

"She looks good," Emmett said, "she seems happy."

Jasper nodded. "She is," he confirmed.

As we watched, the man said something to the three women that caused the short blonde and the brunette in the leather pants to laugh and Bella to grin as she turned and started walking backwards in front of the man. Her grin turned from amused to teasing as she stopped walking in one of the darker spots along the sidewalk and tilted her head to the side and back slightly, a seductive look crossing her features as she ran her hand invitingly down her throat. The other two women laughed, but the man grinned devilishly at Bella for a moment before he lunged at her throat, his eyes turning amber and his face shifting as he did so.

For the second time in five minutes, I was sure that my heart would have stopped beating if I actually had a heartbeat. Panic rose up in me as I watched the demonic vampire bury his face in Bella's neck and before I was even aware that I had moved, I was across the street, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice right behind me.

As we reached the group, I reached out and jerked the demon away from the love of my life, throwing him away from us and hearing a very satisfying _crack_ as he hit the brick wall of a nearby alleyway.

I turned back to Bella, wanting to make sure she was okay, and was caught off-guard as her hand planted itself in the center of my chest as she shoved past me.

"Spike!" she shrieked as she ran to the blond, quickly crouching down in front of him and checking on him.

"He okay?" the blonde woman asked as she and the leather-clad brunette quickly made their way to Bella's side, both women keeping an eye on us even as they checked on the demon.

The demon groaned lightly as he stood up, his hand going up to touch the back of his head. "Just bloody wonderful," he answered. "Someone mind explaining what the hell just happened?"

"Good question," Bella said as she turned back to look at us. "Just what the hell is your-" Her voice cut off as she finally registered who was standing in front of her and shock crossed her features. "Edward?"

Her three companions turned to look at me in surprise and the brunette's eyes traveled over me slowly.

"Well, damn, Bells," she said as she looked me over, "you had yourself a hottie." She turned and grinned at Bella for a moment before turning back to me. "Too bad he's a dumbass."

"Yeah, well, that's about how it generally goes, isn't it?" Bella asked with a shrug. "They're either smart or they're pretty. It's like it's impossible for them to be both."

"Hey now, Pet!" the demon, Spike, exclaimed indignantly, "I'm pretty _and_ smart!"

Bella raised an eyebrow at the demon and smirked softly. "Tell me, Spike, what rhymes with effulgent?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.

The two women giggled as Spike glared at Bella. "Bite me, Pet," he retorted.

"I thought that was supposed to be the other way around," Bella replied with a grin causing me to growl low in my throat.

I quickly crossed the distance between us and grabbed Bella by the arms, turning her to look at me. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I growled out. "I left to keep you safe and this is what you do? Go out and _ask_ vampires to bite you?! Are you stupid? Do you really want to be a vampire that badly? Want to die that badly?"

There was a low growl behind me and the next thing I knew, my back was hitting the alley wall and I was staring into a pair of angry hazel eyes.

"I suggest you keep your hands _off_ my girlfriend," the short blonde woman said, her voice low and dangerous as she effortlessly held my against the alley wall by my throat, my feet dangling off the ground.

I struggled to escape her hold for a few minutes until her words really sank in and I froze, simply staring at her in disbelief as my mind tried to make sense of what she had said. I tried to listen in to her thoughts but heard nothing. Her mind was like Bella's, completely closed to me.

A couple seconds later, Emmett's voice broke the silence that had settled around us as he voiced the question running through my mind, as well as Jasper, Alice and Rosalie's.

"Girlfriend?" he asked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Emmett looking back and forth between the blonde holding me and Bella curiously.

"Ten bucks says she stakes him," Spike muttered softly and my eyes darted over to look at him.

The leather-clad brunette scoffed as she glanced over at the demon. "That's a sucker's bet," she stated.

"Staking him wouldn't kill him," Bella said absently, her eyes trained on me and the blonde.

"No, but it would still hurt like a bitch," Spike replied.

The brunette woman nodded in agreement, "It would be like shooting Spike; ineffective, but fun."

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed.

Bella giggled as she glanced at her friends. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Emmett speaking up once more.

"Wait, wait, wait," Emmett said, "we're getting off track here." Looking back at him from the corner of my eye, I saw him turn to leer playfully at Bella. "Girlfriend?"

Bella shook her head fondly at Emmett. "Why am I not surprised that you focused on that and not the fact that she's easily holding Edward off the ground?"

"Speaking of that," Jasper spoke up, "is she going to put Edward down any time soon?"

Bella sighed softly and walked closer to us. She smiled softly as she stepped up behind the blonde whose hand was still around my throat and I felt her small hands slip around the blonde's waist as she rested her chin on the woman's shoulder.

"Buffy?" she murmured softly. "Come on, Baby, let him down. He won't touch me again." Then she whispered something into Buffy's ear in a language I had never heard before.

Buffy, and really, what kind of name is _Buffy_, anyway? Buffy turned to look at Bella, a small smile on her face. "Promise?" she asked, a slightly hopeful note in her voice.

Bella nodded, "Promise."

"Really now, Pet?" Spike asked and I glanced over to see his eyebrow arched in question. "You can bend like that?"

Buffy turned her head to look at Spike. "That's for me to know," she told him, "and you…not to."

She turned back to me and leaned in close. "I'm going to let you go now," she said, "But if you so much as _touch_ my girlfriend again, or think about talking to her like that again, I will pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat."

With that, she let go of me and I dropped to the ground, staring at her in shock.

"Wow, hello to the very vivid mental imagery," Rosalie stated, staring at Buffy as well. I flinched a second later as I saw the vivid mental image Rosalie had in her mind as a result of Buffy's threat. It wasn't pretty.

Buffy stepped away from me and turned, pulling Bella into her arms. She trailed the tips of her fingers over Bella's upper arms, where I had grabbed her, and looked at Bella intently. "You're okay?" she asked.

Bella nodded. "I'm fine," she replied with a soft smile.

Buffy nodded and leaned in to kiss Bella softly.

Watching them kiss was like watching a train wreck; you don't want to watch but you can't seem to turn away either. The kiss deepened and it felt like my unbeating heart was being ripped from my chest, yet I still couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight.

"Damn, B," the leather-clad brunette said, "Angel has an entire hotel full of rooms at your disposal. You think you can wait 'til you get back to one of those before you ravage your girl?"

The kiss finally broke and Buffy turned to look at the brunette. "Bite me, Faith," she told the brunette pleasantly.

Faith grinned, "Nah, that's okay. That's Bella's job."

I watched as Bella grinned mischievously at her friend and shake her head. "Nope, biting is Spike's department," she said. "I just nibble."

Buffy nodded as she pulled Bella closer. "And lick," she added.

Bella giggled. "And nip," she added as she leaned in and playfully nipped at Buffy's neck.

Watching them, I felt sick to my stomach. I left Bella years ago for her own good, so she could be safe and have a normal life. This…this wasn't normal. She was friends with a demonic vampire and apparently dating a girl who obviously wasn't normal considering that she could lift me off my feet and hold me against the wall effortlessly.

"Wow, you definitely weren't kidding about that 'girlfriend' thing," Emmett said as he stared at the two of them. "I wasn't sure if I really believed it, but after that…" he trailed off but that didn't stop his thoughts and seconds later, he was replaying the scene of Buffy and Bella kissing in his head.

My head snapped around as I glared at Emmett, a low growl escaping my throat. He jerked out of his thoughts and looked at me at the sound.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Phone," Alice stated, her voice cutting through the tension in the alley.

Everyone turned to look at her in confusion for a moment before a cell phone started ringing. Buffy, Faith, and Spike looked surprised for a moment before Buffy simply shrugged and reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out and flipped it open. A female voice came over the line, but I couldn't quite make out the words.

"Yeah, we're on our way," Buffy said in response to whatever the other person had said. "We ran into Bella's ex." There was a slight pause as the other person spoke again and Buffy smirked for a moment. "I will. Tell Angel we'll be back in about ten minutes and to go ahead and get our weapons out for us so we don't have to waste any time doing it when we get back." Another pause. "Okay. See you in a few." She hung up her cell phone and slipped it back into her pocket as she looked at Bella and their friends. "That was Dawn," she told them, "Cordy had a vision and they need a little help. I told her to have Angel pull out our weapons so we can just leave when we get there."

Faith nodded. "Let's go then," she said, "I could use a good fight."

They turned to head for the entrance of the alley and I started to reach out for Bella's arm once again, I still wanted to talk to her, but Rosalie sent the vivid image of Buffy's threat to me once more and I pulled my arm back.

As they reached the entrance of the alley, Bella paused and turned back to look at us. She smiled at Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. "It was good to see you again," she said to them, "even if we didn't really get to talk or anything." Then she turned to look at me and a contemplative look crossed her face. "I'd say it was good to see you again, too," she said, "but I'm not really sure if it was. It's been seven years, Edward. _You_ left _me_. And the first thing you did when you saw me was hurt one of my friends and then yell at me. It's good to know that you're okay, but beyond that…" she trailed off and shook her head lightly, like she wasn't really quite sure what to say. "I'm happy now, Edward. I hope you find someone who makes you happy, too, someday."

As she turned around and continued to leave, I felt my heart breaking. I didn't want her to leave. Bella is the love of my life. There's never going to be anyone else, just her. And knowing that she's happy with someone else kills me.

Just as they were about to turn the corner, Buffy stopped and looked back at me, the smirk that had appeared when she was on the phone back on her face.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said as she looked at me, "Dawn said to tell you that you're a stupid butt-monkey for leaving Bella and that you must be severely mentally damaged to do so. She also said to tell you that leaving Bella was probably the single biggest mistake you will ever make because you won't ever find anyone like her again, no matter how long you live."

And with that, she disappeared around the corner, Bella disappearing with her, Spike and Faith following after them. All I could do was stare as they disappeared, Buffy's relayed message from Dawn, whoever that was, ringing in my head. There was nothing I could do but watch as my life walked away from me, just like I'd walked away from her all those years ago. Whoever Dawn was, she was right; leaving Bella was the single biggest mistake I'll ever make. And there's nothing I can do to fix it. Because Bella's happy now. She's in love, and it's not with me. She doesn't love me anymore. I stupidly threw my chance with her away and I'll regret it for the rest of my days. There's no way for me to fix this mistake. All I can do now is try to be happy for her.

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**Well, I finally got the Edward chapter out! I hope you all liked it. I honestly had no idea where this was going when I started it. The Angel chapter, I knew what I wanted to happen and how I wanted him to react. This one, I just kinda sat down and started writing and this is what happened. Anyway, I hope you liked it! Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

**~ Kyra**


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